Dearly Departed
by Enigma InuChild XIII
Summary: My soul is tied to this world. For so long I've wandered here, alone, unseen, unheard. I've always been the invisible child, so I suppose this is fitting for someone like me. My only regret... I couldn't spend more time with them. With him...


An idea that came up while I was sitting in my room, contemplating life like a hermit. Just for fun really. And to let out some negative energy.

I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Such a beautiful night this was. I'm glad I came out to enjoy it. The once robin's egg blue sky fell into a canvas of navy blues and sweet, deep violets, and the stars hung precariously from their perch, seeming brighter tonight. More luminescent. The sea tossed gentle waves that kissed the shore line, leaving colorful shells in its wake. The wind, once playful and filled with the spirit of the island itself had calmed into a whispering breeze, the smell of brine and salt tickling my nose with a careful touch. All was asleep this night. Birds nestled in the arms of large green palms, crickets crafted their nightly symphony to sooth the soul to a restful sleep, and the inhabitants of the much larger island a distance away were cozy in their homes, deep in their dreams as they cuddle beneath their blankets, waiting patiently for the next fun filled day to arrive.

This was an ideal time to come out and play, for everything seemed to take on a touch of magic and wonder.

I sat lazily on a curvy Paopu tree on the little islet, just several feet away from the wooden shed, and looked at the stars above with a joy filled beam. My light grey eyes glowed beneath my messy black fringe that collected underneath the giant grey hoodie I wore, and my bare feet swung lazily of the edge off the tree, black shorts barely covering my caramel legs. Breathing in the ocean air, I sighed in content.

This island was my home. My sanctuary away from all the troubles I faced, or the deep seeded sadness that was digging into my chest. This place was sanctuary. Warm, lovely, inviting sanctuary. Memories, both good, and bad, mingled together in a collage that kept me anchored here, on this world, on this island. No matter what I do, or how badly I may plea, I always find myself here, laying on the legendary Paopu tree and gazing at the stars, wondering to myself how I could even think of leaving. My soul was tied to this place. I can never leave this island of destiny.

_"Though, there was a time I begged to whatever sentient being that guards this place to let me go," _I thought warily, sitting up so I was facing the great expanse of water, _"The saddest, most melancholic of memories had taken over me, and I wished with all the strength in my heart I could muster, for it to let me go. Set my soul free! Allow me the freedom I craved!... there was so much anger inside of me then," _I gripped my chest with a pained smile.

I... was always the invisible child. The strange little girl who spoke to the ocean, made friends with the trees, and played with the wind until the sun set. To me, they were all I had. They had voices, names even! Kaze, Chikyu, and Umi. And I knew in my heart they cared about me as much as I cared about them. They practically raised me, the little orphan that wandered the island with a dusty old shack to call home, and when things got rough, or if any of the other kids bothered me, they were there for me. Umi listened to my cries, Chikyu sheltered me in his branches, and Kaze cheered me up with a game of tag. I never thought anyone could ever take their place in my heart... that is... until I decided to make room for_ him..._

* * *

_"Kaze! Kaze, wait! You're going too high!" An eight year old girl shouted as she jumped across the sand with a childish grin. The sun shone brightly upon her messy raven hair and sweet caramel skin, and with her grin came the subtle gap between her two front teeth. She skittered across the beach in a bright green sun dress, and her orange eyes sparkled mischief as she attempted capture the mysterious and elusive Kaze in her tiny fists. _

_"Kaze! No fair!" She giggled, running with the wind towards the shoreline, stomping on the ground with a huff, "You can't keep running to Umi all the time, ya know!"_

_As if in response, the ocean lapped at the girls legs, giving her skin a chill and getting more laughter out of the child. "Umi! You're suppose to be on my side!" Her scolding held a loving warmth to them. She could never stay mad at her friends, even for a moment. She loved them far too much for that. They were all she had. Her friends. Her family._

_Her mood turned cold however, when a curious, boyish voice spoke to her from behind, "Hey! Who are you talking to?"_

_With a sudden jerk, she turned and faced a pair of eyes that could very well rival Umi's gorgeous hue. A boy, perhaps a year older than her stood with his head in a curious tilt. His chestnut hair was a mess of gravity defying spikes, and his face held none of the malice she'd expect for talking so openly with the ocean. Just amusement mixed in with a bit of curiosity alight in his eyes._

_The little girl had seen this boy many times with two others, though never bothered to learn his name. Normally she was gone before any of the other children arrived. She must've been playing with Kaze a little too long for him to be here._

_Just as she was about to sprint towards the safety of the shack, the boy stopped her with a worried tone, "W-Wait! I-I didn't mean to scare you!"_

_Didn't mean to scare her? Does that mean...He isn't here to tease me? Or make fun of my friends? Slowly, the girl turned, still bearing a nervous countenance, eyes lowered to her shoeless feet digging in white sand. _

_"My name's Sora," the boy said, taking careful steps towards the girl and gave her a warm smile, "What's yours?"_

_The girl was silent a moment, contemplating whether to give out her name, or book it to the shack to escape the strange boy. Kaze's gentle caress coaxed her into saying it in her tiniest voice. "H-Hotaru..."_

_"Hotaru?" Sora tilted, then grinned, "That means firefly! Right?"_

_Hotaru nodded, then looked to one of the trees, "Yeah. That's what Chikyu says."_

_Sora arched his brow, perplexed, and turned his gaze towards said tree, "Chikyu? You mean that tree over there?"_

_"All of the trees," Hotaru explained shyly, ready to be reprimanded by the boy for her odd names, "All of them are named Chikyu."_

_As she waited to be scolded, Sora scratched his head with a puzzled look. It came to Hotaru as a happy surprise, however, when the boy gave her a silly grin and said, "Oh, I get it! All of the trees on the island are named Chikyu! Not just one, right?"_

_"Y-Yes!" Hotaru nodded, giving a grin of her own, "That's right!"_

_"Then...who's Kaze? I heard you shout that name before."_

_Hotaru giggled as the wind tickled her nose, "Kaze is the wind!"_

_"Oh! I get it now! And Umi...is the sea?"_

_"Uhuh! You got it!"_

_"Do they ever talk __to you?"_

_Hotaru beamed once more, and the two children sat in the sand, the girl speaking joyfully about her guardians as Sora listened, drinking in every word she spoke. The wise Umi, the playful Kaze, and the ever sheltering Chikyu were explained in great detail. She explained the games they played, the conversations they had, and the things she had learned from them. And when Sora's other friends had arrived, they too sat down to listen to her escapades. Hotaru then showed everyone how to play with the wind, and played tag and hide-n-Seek until the sun had set._

_The four children then sat on the curvy Paopu tree, waiting for the sun to bid them goodnight. Sora, the red head Kairi, and Hotaru were comfortable sharing a seat on the trunk while the silver haired Riku leaned against the edge, careful to avoid Hotaru's swinging feet. _

_"So, where do you live Hotaru?" Kairi asked with a small smile. Having another girl to talk to, Kairi and Hotaru had become the best of friends._

_"Well...I live here," Hotaru explained, getting a strange look from her new companions._

_"Here?" Riku inquired._

_The girl nodded with a small grin, "Here... there...everywhere really! Hotaru has no home. Hotaru...," She bowed her head eyes falling into the sand, "Hotaru doesn't really have anybody to go home to..."_

_"You can't say that anymore," Sora said cheerfully leaning over to get a better look at her, "Because you've got us now! Right guys?"_

_"Right," Riku smiled at her, getting an even bigger one in return._

_"S-Sora, you're gonna-!" Kairi attempted to warn the brunette before his body leant too far off the trunk and his head went plummeting into the sand. A round of laughter was shared, and Sora lifted his head to join in his own humiliation, grains caught in his spikes. _

_"Don't you worry, Hotaru! We'll always be there for you! No matter what happens!" The sand covered boy announced, his friends nodding in agreement. _

_The small child could not have been happier, or smiled even wider than she had that day. _

_"Y-Yeah! And Umi, Chikyu, and Kaze too!"_

_The little girl never had a greater day. And those days continued to come from that day forward, filling her days with so many happy memories, her heart nearly burst. All thanks to that strange little boy..._

* * *

"Sora...," I said with a smile, a bubble of laughter slipping through my lips, "To this day I can't thank you enough for what you've done. For giving me a chance to experience true happiness... even if it was for a short while," I gazed at the stars with a forlorn look, "You gave me a purpose... a reason to keep moving... even if..."

I trailed off, my heart shuddering with unused tears. No... it's too late for regrets. What's done is done. There's no changing fate.

For hours I sat on the Paopu tree, enjoying the scent of fruit while waiting for the sun rise from the horizon. I played back a few memories to keep me going, talked to Umi for a while, and kicked up a game of tag with Kaze when he decided to pick up his gale, until there was a break in the blue oblivion, and I decided to nestle down underneath one of Chikyu's large branches. For a moment, I sat there, legs crossed and chin in my hands as I watched the sun paint the sky beautiful roses, lavenders, and yellows. Birds were beginning to awake from their slumber and scavenge for food, and Umi picked up her waves a bit, letting the world know she was ready for another day. It remained peaceful. So peaceful in fact, I failed to notice the wooden boat approach the island until I heard footsteps tread on the creaky dock into the fresh white sand.

I stood from my spot beneath Chikyu's arms and gave a grin at the shadowed silhouette headed for the shack, and trailed the familiar head of spikes as it climbed up the stairs towards the little islet.

"Wow, Sora! You sure grew!" I said in awe, glancing over his taller stature, lighter shade of hair, and black ensemble, "I'm kind of afraid of what Riku looks like under all that hair."

I knew the two had left for over a year after the storm. Kairi had come back not too long ago, so I continued to watch my best friend sprout into the beautiful girl she is today while wondering what happened to my other two rivaling companions. It was a relief to see them plummeting into Umi's safe grasp without a scratch or wound to be spoken of.

Said boy paid no heed to my words and sat in his usual roost on the curvy fruit tree, eyes angled to the object grasped in his hand. Unknown to him, it gave a soft blue glow, and puzzled, I went over to peer at the object in question.

"My... M-My...," I was flabbergasted. There, in his hand, was a Paopu seed strung on an old string with a bunch of colorful seashells. My old necklace I made when I was eight!

"I thought...I thought I lost that ages ago!" I said in shock, looking between the boy and the necklace, mouth agape, "You had it this entire time!?"

With a heavy sigh, Sora looked towards the ocean, and said, "U-Umi? I-I know I'm not..." He trailed off when his voice cracked, his usual whimsical spark turning downcast in his blue hues eyes and clutching the seed tighter in his grasp.

"Sora?" I worried over the boy, afraid he was going to burst into tears.

"I know...I-I don't normally speak to you...," Sora choked out, "And the person who does isn't... isn't around to do that. But I just thought I'd let you know...if you...," The boy looked at the sea with regret filtering through his features, "if you happen to see her...tell her that...Sora is sorry."

"Sorry? Sora...," Now I see what he's doing. And he shouldn't be doing that in the first place.

"I promised to protect her...And with everything that's happened so far, I couldn't even do that," he explained to Umi, eyes trailing the sand, "It's my fault she's gone in the first place. I didn't even know she was out there until a month ago. With the storm, the raft, Riku, and Kairi...," He fought tears, "I just thought she'd come back like everything else did. That everything would be normal again. So when I found this washed up on the shore one day... I couldn't believe it..."

"Sora, it wasn't your fault!" I argued at the teenage boy, "I shouldn't have gone out there! You didn't know I was in that boat! I should've stayed behind!"

"I managed to save everyone else, but I couldn't save her," Sora stood and approached the edge with the glowing seed still in his grasp. Something within me pounded a soft chime when I drew close, "If I could rewind this whole adventure, I would if it meant saving Hotaru. She didn't deserve to go...not yet. Not like she did. She was probably scared, cold, trapped... Hotaru was always alone before. She didn't need to go alone too.

"That's why...Umi, Chikyu, Kaze," Sora said, crouching by the edge with the seed loose in his grasp, "I'm sorry for losing your friend. And I'm sorry for breaking my promise. And Hotaru...if you're out there...And if you can hear me," Sora raised his head with a sad smile, not natural on his usual grinning lips, "I'm sorry for not being there for you like I should've that day."

"Sora...," I choked out, hot tears cascading down my cheeks. I already forgave him a long time ago. There wasn't a need for this. All of this sadness and regret. It wasn't necessary for the dearly departed. I held no anger towards the boy. I only wished I could've stayed a bit longer so I could create more happy memories with him and his friends. I didn't care if he was with me or not. I was just happy knowing he was always thinking of me, whether knowing if I was dead or alive.

"You always said you wanted to be free as the wind. Like Kaze, right?" Sora pondered, looking fondly at the Paopu seed in his palm, "Well... maybe this will help. I have a feeling it will. Whenever I hold it close, it feels like your around. Right next me even. But now, I don't need it anymore- because I know that no matter how far we are from each other, our hearts are always connected, and we'll always find a way back to each other... so, you have to promise to come back to me!" Sora grinned, and with a sudden flick of his arm, the glowing seed was sent into Umi's awaiting arms.

The glow vanished beneath the shifting waters. I stared at the grinning boy in shock as he stood proudly in the dawn's morning light. Then, a tickle went through my chest and across my skin.

"Ah!" An immediate warm glow enveloped my body. It felt so welcoming, peaceful... it felt like freedom. My soul... He set my soul free! I felt myself lifted high in the air, a smile stretching my cheeks as pristine white feathers protruded from my back. A bubble of laughter escaped me, Kaze twirling around me with joy, ready to start a new game with my new wings as a challenge. They were beautiful. Pure. Glowing against the grey of my hoodie and extended beyond arms length, down feathers tickling the skin. I was free... I was free...

I was finally free...

When my eyes landed on Sora, I smiled even more. He was looking directly at me with that silly grin on his lips and a tear slipping down his face. No words were exchanged. There wasn't a need for them. As sad as it was, we both knew in our hearts it was time to say goodbye.

"Sora...," I grinned, "I'll..."

"See you later!... right?" Sora beamed with a tilt to his head. Old habits die hard I suppose.

I nodded, "Right! Don't you forget me! 'Kay?"

"I can never forget you," Sora replied with a smile, wiping his tear stained cheeks.

With those parting words, I flew off into the growing dawn, raining white feathers upon the islands, and ready to enjoy my newfound freedom.

* * *

"I can never forget you...," Sora said once the shower of feathery snow vanished. He fell to his knees, water erupting from his eyes and leaving rivers on his face, despite his happy smile, "You are... one of my best friends...You were...," Sora lifted his head, watching the approaching dawn gather on the horizon, suddenly seeing a new light engulfed in its glimmering radiance, "the one I couldn't save..."


End file.
